Gathering seed.
There is no denying now, that summer has come and gone, and yet, even though autumn is obviously making it’s presence felt, I have to say that I can’t remember a more beautiful September. The days are warm and dry, and yet there is that wonderful autumn chill in the air, and an earthy, lingering scent that speaks of dew and mist.
The veggie patch has been neglected of late, yet still, the harvest is there to be gathered.
It just keeps coming, especially the tomatoes, one of the best years for them….and the carrots!
The apples are now being passed around the neigbourhood and are returned to me in the form of crumbles and pies, which is wonderful as I can’t bake……
and everywhere the leaves are turning red and gold which means I’ll be spending the coming months raking them up!
Curly cat is enjoying the last throes of summer , and rolls nonchalantly hoping for a tummy rub.
Now, when walking, hubs and I rarely see another soul, which means the great outdoors belongs to us. Rabbits hop in the fields and all around the pheasants are chuck, chuck, chucking on the high ground, while buzzards soar overhead in the fluffy blue skies.
Having red squirrels in the garden has an unexpected bonus. I came across this peanut plant yesterday, and have now potted it up and popped it in the greenhouse. I found a peanut growing earlier in the year, but, just like the squirrels, I forgot where I planted it!
Another lovely thing about autumn is sitting out, around a roaring fire. The brolly hubs bought really does work in the rain…and the screeching owls and swooping bats complete the scene and leave me feeling so contented.
The hogs are breeding late again, I’m not sure why as the seasons seem on track…ish…maybe it’s because it’s been so mild. These two came in last week and weigh less than 70 grams, they certainly won’t be going anywhere until the end of next spring.
This has been my homework for the last five days…a wee squab… a woodpigeon chick. This little guy was only a couple of days old when I brought it home, it has now opened it’s eyes and is forming quills on it’s wings. It was caught by a cat which had punctured it’s skin, making the risk of infection high, but so far so good. It’s a little fighter and I have great hopes for it’s survival, as every day it grows stronger, and is now learning to gape for food. It feels like a little hot potato!
And finally…
It’s always lovely to see daughter smiling…..and being able to have washing on the line this late in the year!
Good to know you are getting a better feel for the garden size wise….it must be very confusing as it is split into three spaces…
Hahahahaha….love the idea that the hoglets look like liquidamber seeds, now I have to go and find out more about them as I have never heard of them before!
Lol….yes, there is little need to bake as I am kept all year in pies and crumbles….thank God for fruit trees!
Yum….must get me a juicer, I have tons of apples, carrots and beets! Thanks Anne.xxx
How lovely to see your beautiful daughter enjoying the garden under the autumn sunshine. And nice to have a sense of scale in your space.
Speaking of scale, when I first saw those HH, I thought they were liquidambar seed pods! So adorable they are — your baby HH, not the seed pods.
You keep saying you can’t bake, but with neighbors dropping goodies like these, can I see why!
Having good weather must help in the fall tidying you must do. Enjoy your last harvests. Careful… I’ve got my eye on those plump beets (for juicing — carrots, apples, lime, ginger — YUM!).
This has been a very warm September here as well. Those hogs are so tiny, they’re amazing. On Saturday Judy make a kind of apple cake called a Sharlotka.
The hogs are very sweet when they are tiny, I do hope the others mothers show a little sense though!
Ooooohhhh….a Sharlotka….I must go and look that up, sounds marvelous! Thanks Jason.xxx
I love apples baked any way, especially in pie. Your post feels so contented. I’ve found peanut seedlings in my garden, too, but usually pull them. Maybe I should let one grow… 🙂
Oh….I would love to see you grow a peanut, I have brought mine indoors, they need the warmth don’t they. I love the way the seedpods droop until they are in the soil….fascinating little plants. Thanks Casa.xxx
A most enjoyable post and lovely photos reflecting just how good the weather has been. I’ve been collecting seed as well.
That crumble looks delicious, my favourite is blackberry and apple. The photo of Curly made me smile, as did the baby hogs.
Flighty xx
Thanks Flighty, collecting seed is one of my favourite garden chores, I always end up with far too much though. Mmmmmmm, yes….blackberry and apple, a sure winner.xxx
You sound in a very mellow mood, glad everything is well in your world. Certainly this wonderful September is a bonus – hope it doesn’t mean that we are going to pay for it with a horrible winter!.
September has surpassed iself hasn’t it, although a chill has crept in along with October! Oh, I do hope we don’t get a bad winter, I have great hopes for a mild one. Thanks Elaine.xxx
Your post was such a lovely read, welcoming autumn at its finest. A productive harvest ~ and still more to come 🙂 Love your little creatures, biddy birdy and half-pint hogs. Sweet photo of your daughter 🙂 How is the fox coming along ~ that was wonderful to read about your speaking to it in such a gentle manner and slowly blinking your eyes….
Thanks Glo, I do love autumn once I have accepted that summer is over. The fox has remained quite calm, so I really pleased about that!!! Hopefully he shall be able to go in a few days, he has had two treatments for mange now so should be OK. You must practice your slowblinking with wild animals….maybe not with bears mind!!!xxx
Lovely picture of daughter looking beautiful and so happy with the irrepressible Sam relaxing at her feet! 🙂
well done for all the veg you have grown! Wow! Very impressive and must be immensely satisfying to grow, harvest and eat your own home-grown!:) xxx
Lol….Sam just loves to throw himself at the floor in the general direction of peoples feet, usually he lands on them!
It’s been a great year for tome, carrots, beets, spuds and salad crops….sadly though not a single parsnip germinated, the slugs got my runner beans and the garlic seems to have disappeared along with me onions!!! Still, each year is different. Thanks Arose.xxx
What a wonderfully uplifting post, and yes what a September it has been….wonderful.
Please do give Curley a great big hug from me, and as I have said before, only wish I lived next door as I would be poaching lots of your veggies….and peanuts!:)
May you continue to enjoy – :)xxxxx
Thanks Janet, ah yes, a really wonderful September, let’s hope we all get a lovely autumn and winter too…I shall give Curly a hug from you….and yes, if only you did live nearby, what fun we would have. Here’s to growing peanuts.xxx
What do you feed the baby pigeon with – don’t they feed on pigeon milk?
The way peanuts grow is fascinating isn’t it – I keep meaning to grow some to photograph. Weird I know.
We feed the woodies, pigeons and collared dove chicks with an egg mixture that has fine seed in it. It comes dried and we just add water. The parents do feed them on a milk from cells in the crop, then as they get older they add ground seed and then later, insects….all crunched up. They gradually feed them less crop milk and feed them less often until eventually they only feed them once or twice a day. We do the same in terms of frequency of feeds.
Oh yes, peanuts fascinate me too, I always think they grow a little like potatoes, once they are in the ground, the way they send the fruit down into the soil is the weirdest thing though…….you must grow some, they germinate really easily, maybe I will get peanuts from this plant if I can remember where I’ve put it! Thanks Sue.xxx
My reply timed out, It wasn’t that long! Here we go again.
A great big Aaaw for the animals.
You’ve a fecund harvest, the carrots have some interesting shapes.
My favourite pix of these are; the clouds scape and curly cat.
I said a bit more, but….
xx
There seems to be a problem with commenting and replying….I hope it sorts itself out, sorry about that, it really is annoying.
Lol….lots of my carrots are unusual shapes, they would be kicked out of supermarkets but they taste simply wonderful!
I must say, that was a heavenly sky and we got to enjoy it all to ourselves. As for Curly….I can’t walk past the cat without it rolling around the ground. Thanks Menhir.xxx
I’ve seen lots of hedgehogs just lately, they’re always snuffling about when I take Archie out at night. I shall be on the lookout for small ones now you’ve mentioned they’re breeding late in the year again, all the ones I’ve seen have been a good size. I think that’s a great trade, apples for crumbles and pies, you can’t say fairer than that. Autumn’s definitely here now, I’ve hung on to summer for as long as I can but there’s no denying that it’s now come and gone.
I’m glad you shall be on the lookout Jo, if in doubt just weigh them. I hope we don’t get a run on tiny hogs…..the poor things really are tiny, what are their mothers thinking?
You can’t beat trading apples for pies, it works well with plums and pears too, I get all sorts of yummy dishes turning up! Thanks Jo.xxx
What a lovely idea to sit outside by a fire on autumn evenings under a big brolly. Eccentric, but lovely.
I know what you mean about the late summer veg garden. Amidst total neglect you get more and more produce. I know it sounds awful but I wish it would just stop now so that I could tidy it all up. It looks such a mess.
I must say I have seen prettier babies than your wood pigeon. The hedgehog babies are cute though.
Red squirrels are obviously a better class of squirrel apart from being prettier than greys. All I ever get planted are endless hazels and walnut trees everywhere. Jessica at Rusty Duck envies you your Pea nut trees? They don’ t grow on trees do they? They belong to the Leguminosae family. Or ‘ le’ go mi nosy’ as I always think of it.
Lol….Eccentric? Moi???
I totally get the urge to tidy the veg patch, I really need to get stuck into mine as it’s a mess but still it’s totally crammed with food. I think I’ll still be picking carrots, beets and leeks right through winter! I don’t think the courgettes have any plans to stop fruiting in the near future either!
Lol….the squab has a face that only a mother and I could love….they are so odd looking as newborns aren’t they?
I have always been fascinated by peanuts and it’s so odd how they grow, your pronunciation had me smiling! I really must remember where I have put this one and post if I get peanuts. The squirrels do bury bird seed too, it’s so odd seeing a fairy ring of wheat and grass pop up in the border! Thanks Chloris.xxx
What a lovely contented post! I agree that September has been lovely, a bit of rain, a bit of warmth, everything still going great guns in the garden. Couldn’t be better! Love your baby hedgehogs but does that mean that they have no mum to look after them? Bit of a distressing thought… Hope this lovely mood continues for you!
We all seem to be having wonderful weather don’t we? It certainly makes life easier and the garden happy! Now wouldn’t it be great if we get a good autumn and winter….fingers crossed eh?
Yes, the poor little hogs are now orphans and will have human parents. They do really well though so hopefully these two will shuffle off next spring. Thanks Caro.xxx
Lovely post! I’ve btried twice to post a comment…same response…timed out….Last attempt….
P.S. Love that last picture. Hugs! xx
I think the site or Just host has been playing up, I’ve had the same problem, sorry about that, it is annoying isn’t it. Thanks Bushka.xxx
A peanut tree, fancy that! If only our little grey blighters would bring me something that exotic.
Now you just can’t beat fresh peanuts, maybe plant some, they take really easily! Thanks Jess.xxx
Awww … so pleased your daughter is recovering. Another fabulous post – you just some how capture the magic of autumn. Thank you for brightening up our lives!!
Thanks so much Gilly, I do love autumn, well once I’ve accepted that summer has gone, the colours and misty mornings are gorgeous and I do enjoy crunching through leaves!xxx
Lovely harvests and cozy nights…and babies to heal: what a fine life you’ve created, Dina!
Our summer was blessed, too, and I join you in feeling so very grateful for the ease and pleasure of it.
How wonderful to see your beautiful daughter smiling and lighting up the garden space! There’s a small package on its way to you and includes a treat for her (and himself), too!
May your autumn continue to bless you with peace and peanuts and other lovely surprises, Dina!
Everyone seems to have had a wonderful summer this year, ahh yes, the Gods are smiling down on us. Let’s hope for a dazzling autumn and mild winter too!
Oh….I shall look out for the postman, thank you SO much Kitty, I do love surprises, as does daughter and hubs. xxxx